The Dark Side of the Sun |
Production Team | |||
1983
A BBC TV Production In Association with Gryphon Productions | |||
Stunt Co-ordinator Gareth Milne Music Composed by Stavros Xarhakos Production Manager Alan Wareing Production Associate Colin Dudley Greek Production Manager Petros Raptis UK Production Manager Corinne Hollingworth Production Assistant Joan Marine Assistant Floor Managers Morag L Bains Adrian Haywood Vision Mixer Nigel Shepherd Camera Supervisor Harry Barclay Videotape Editor Derek Orman Properties Buyer David Fairfield Graphic Designer Sandi Anderson |
Special Sound Jonathan Gibbs Visual Effects Designer Stuart Brisdon Stills Photographer Joan Williams Film Cameraman Stuart Wild Film Sound Graham Ross Film Editor John Dunstan Studio Lighting Alan Henderson Studio Sound Ron Allan Costume Designer David Beeton Make-up Designer Sidonia Webster Designer Alex Gourlay Producer Vere Lorrimer Director David Askey |
Amongst many others who went uncredited, but still played an important part in bringing the series to life, was Kathleen Bennett who acted as Greek translator. Kathleen says her time working on the show "was one of my favourite memories and was only cut short by the birth of my son."
Kathleen says that when she left she was given a souvenir by Peter Egan - a gold and lava necklace with the sun face carved out of the lava. She sent me this photograph of it but said the picture does not do it justice.
"(In the photograph) the sides of the head look odd. When you look at it in person it looks like our sun god, but in this photograph he looks like he is wearing a hat!"
Vere Lorrimer was born on 8 June 1920 and, after starring in a school play, trained at Fay Compton School of Dramatic Art before entering the theatre, thanks to a friend of his father's, as an assistant stage manager and small part player at the Palace Theatre, Watford. Joining up at the age of 20, Lorrimer served with the tank regiment but did not see any action as he was offered a chance to join the Stars in Battledress entertainment unit, directing and acting in several revues.
Back in civvies, he worked as a pianist, actor and stage manager before finding a regular role as artistic director at the Royal Artillery Theatre, Woolwich. After a few seasons producing and directing touring plays, he joined the BBC in 1953 where he made his directorial debut on children's programmes such as The Sooty Show.
Lorrimer left puppetry for live action before long, directing episodes of The Eggheads (1961), Compact (1962), Dixon of Dock Green (1965-76), Z-Cars (1965-67), Softly, Softly (1969-76), Counterstrike (1969), Comedy Playhouse (1970), Doomwatch (1970), Trial (1971), The Mackinnons (1977), When the Boat Comes In (1977) Blake's 7 (1978-80) and The Enigma Files (1980). He returned to Blake's 7 as the producer of the fourth and final series (1981), a role he also had on Tenko (1982).
After producing The Dark Side of the Sun and Maelstrom Lorrimer retired from the BBC, but continued to write, produce and direct plays as well as teaching film and TV at drama schools. He appeared in a late episode of Doctor Who as a tour guide in the Sylvester McCoy series 'Silver Nemesis' (1988) and attended a number of Blake's 7 conventions. He lived in Worthing and died on 1 October 1998, aged 78.
Vere Lorrimer was born on 8 June 1920 and, after starring in a school play, trained at Fay Compton School of Dramatic Art before entering the theatre, thanks to a friend of his father's, as an assistant stage manager and small part player at the Palace Theatre, Watford. However, his career was soon interrupted by the war. He joined the Royal Signals and had reached the rank of Major by the time he was helping to organise transport for D-Day. During the last year of the war he joined Stars in Battledress, for which he directed and acted in several revues.
After the war, he worked haphazardly as a stage manager, actor and pianist, often returning to Watford. Soon his aspirations turned to directing. He was appointed artistic director of the Royal Artillery Theatre, Woolwich, where he remained for several seasons before going on to present a number of tours as a freelance Producer / Director.
In the late fifties Vere joined BBC Television, where he made his directorial debut with Sooty. He went on to direct the BBC's first soap opera Compact, as well as innumerable episodes of Dixon of Dock Green, Z Cars and Softly Softly. Other drama credits include Doom Watch, A Life of Bliss and The Brothers.
He directed many editions of This Is Your Life between between 1958 and 1963, including those featuring Barbara Cartland, Kenneth More and Hattie Jacques; and when longtime producer T Leslie Jackson was promoted to Executive Producer, Vere took over the producer role for the programme's ninth and final BBC series in 1963-4.
He was responsible for Dark Side of the Sun, filmed in Greece; Maelstrom, filmed in Norway; and the second series of Tenko, filmed in Malaysia.
After he retired from the BBC, Vere embarked on a new career teaching film and television at a number of drama schools. He died in 1998.
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